Wrench



C. F. NAST.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1920.

PatentedSept. 6,1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

. ,2 em s r. As'r, or ANACORTES, WASHINGTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

WRENCH.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

' Application filed July 19, 1920. Serial No. 397,455.

' To all w ham itenag concern Be it known that I, CHARLES F. NAST, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the clty of Anacortes, in the county of Skagit and State of WVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrenches and consists of a wrench having means whereby a quick ad ustment of one of the jaws may be secured so as to adjust it between different sizes, and which is also provided with means whereby a fine adjustment may be secured as well.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a WI'GIlClI which may be quickly adjusted for i which I desire to secure a patent will be de scribed and then the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of a wrench built in. accordance with my invenparticularly pointed out in tion, showing the movable jaw in locked position.

'Fig. 2 is a similar view of the wrench showing the movable jaw in unlocked posi- 40 tion and with the side walls of the movable jaw in section or cut away, to better show the interior construction and relation of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The wrench herein shown is of the type which is generally referred to as a monkey wrench. The features of adjustment and the principles of construction whereby the adjustment of the movable jaw is secured, may, however, be applied to a pipe wrench as well as to a nut wrench.

A shank or handle 1 has a fixed jaw 10 secured thereto and upon this is mounted to slide, a movable jaw 2. The shank or handle 1 is provided upon one edge with teeth 11 which are adapted to be engaged by a toothed member carried by the movable jaw, to thereby securely hold the jaw in adjusted position. The movable locking member is herein shown as a threaded bolt 3 and is mounted by end bearings 30, in a frame, which frame consists of two side plates 4 connected, at each end of the space within which it is guided, by cross bars 40, in which the end journals 30 of the locking member are mounted. Viewed in cross section this would make this reciprocating member which carries the locking block, shaped much like a letter U.

The side plates 4 of the reciprocating frame which carries the locking member, are. placed at opposite sides of the shank 1. The adjustable jaw 2 has two plates 20 lying outside of the plates i and extending toward the outer end of the handle, their outer edges being secured to an end piece 41 which also has two arms 42 lying at opposite sides of the shank 1 and projecting beyond the back side of the handle or shank, a sufficient distanceto furnish a support for the pivot pin 50, upon which is pivoted the lever 5, by which the locking member is controlled. This lever is pivoted as at 51 upon the side plates 4 of the member which carries the locking block or bolt 3. It is evident that when the lever 5 is down close against the handle 1, as is shown in Fig. 1, the locking .bolt or block 3 will be held up into secure engagement with the under side of the handle 1, the teeth of the block 3 entering the space between the teeth 11 on the handle. In this condition the sliding jaw 2 is se- ,curely held in position.

To secure firm engagement between the locking bolt 3 and the handle and also to secure a construction of parts such that they will not become worn out and not able to securely hold, it is desirable that these teeth be of fairly liberal dimensions. Under such circumstances an exact adjustment of the movable jaw cannot always be secured by simply sliding it up into position. There will be times when the fit of the jaws over the nut would be loose.

In addition to the rapid and what may be called coarse adjustment provided by the inward and outward movement of the bolt 3, I have made this bolt of a circular cross sec tion and journaled in its carrying member,

so that-by turning it upon its axis a fine and accurate adjustment may be secured. In

order that such adjustment may be secured, I terminate the side plates-20, which are secured to or form a part of the jaw 2, just short of the outward edge of the bolt 3, and preferably provide the teeth on this bolt with a slight peripheral surface which is roughened so that the bolt may be readily turned by the hand.

By employinga coarse adjustment, which is quickly secured by sliding the jaw along "the shank, with an accurate fine adjustment adapted to take care of any variation less than one tooth space on the shank, am able to securean accurate ad ustmentoi the aw 'and to do this very promptly. In cases where such small and accurate adjustment is not necessary, or where it is not desired, the rotative feature of the bolt 8 might be omitted.

I prefer to construct a lever 55, by which the engagement and disengagement of thelocking member is secured, so that in cross section it has its outer end of flanged or channeled shape, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. If so constructed the side flanges 52 embrace the sides of the shank or handle 1 and it is therefore made substantially an integral part of the handle while power is being-applied thereto for turning the nut. It is thus protected against lateral or side bending.

The end of the member which carries the sliding jaw 2 which is toward the outer end of the shank, is shown as provided on the inner edge of the-shank with a slight proj ection 42 which is curved, as shown in Figs.

1 and 2. This forms a convenient surface.

against" which the thumb of the operator may. engage while using the wrench. Such a surface iaclhtatcs the convenient {\(ljHSlJ ment and handling of the wrench.

If the lever 52, by which the lock iscontrolled, be made of reasonable strength, it

will, when the'jaw 2 is in its extreme out-V ward adjustment, project beyond the end of the handle 1 and form a substantial extension of the handle, thus automatically providing an extension to the handle whenever thewrench is adjusted to fit large'sizcs of nuts. I i

l/Vhat I claim as invention is 1. In a wrench, in combination, a handle having a fixed jaw and teeth thereon, a jaw cooperating with said fixed jaw and movable along the handle, a lever pivotally supported upon said movable jaw and extendiIlg along the edge of the handle oppositethe jaw opening, in position to -be"brought closely against-the handle when gripped in use, and a toothed locking member carried within and movable relativeto the movable jaw, and connected with said lever to be moved into engagement with the teeth of the disengage said teeth, and carried within and movable relative to'the'movable jaw,; said locking member and the lever being connected to move the locking member into toothengaging position when the lever is brought clos'elyagainst the handle. Y

3. In a wrench, in combination, a handle having a fixed jaw and teeth on-the edge from which said jaw projects, a jaw cooperating with said fixed jaw and movable along the'handle, a lever pivotally supportedbetween its ends upon-the movable jaw, one end projecting. along the handle opposite the jaw opening, in position. to be brought closely against the'handle when gripped in .use, and a toothed locking member movable transversely of the handle to. engage and disengage said teeth and carried within and movable relative' to the movable locking jaw, said locking member and the 'other end of the lever being connected to move the lock- 1ng member 1nto tooth engaging position when the lever is brought closely against thehand.- q

Signed at Anacortes, Skagit county, Wash- .ington,this 8th da of July, 1920.

HARLES F. nasr. 

